Reinforcement element for a welding wire container

ABSTRACT

A reinforcement element ( 30 ) for a welding wire container is provided, having an elongated body ( 32 ) and an attachment provision ( 50; 52, 54, 56; 60 ) for being connected to a wall ( 16 ) of the welding wire container ( 10 ). Further, a welding wire container ( 10 ) having such reinforcement element ( 30 ) is provided.

The invention relates to a reinforcement element for a welding wire container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

European Patent Application EP 1 295 813 shows a welding wire container having reinforcement elements. The reinforcement elements serve for providing stability in a vertical direction when welding wire containers are stacked on top of each other, and for providing support in a lateral direction for the welding wire coil arranged in the interior of the container. Increasing demands as regards the stability of the container require to use more sophisticated reinforcement elements. In the past, the reinforcement elements were made from cardboard. As also the wall of the welding wire container was made from cardboard, recycling of the entire container was not a problem. However, if more sophisticated reinforcement elements are required, cardboard is no longer suitable as a material. Accordingly, recycling is more complicated. In addition, sophisticated reinforcement elements result in increased costs.

The object of the invention is to provide reinforcement elements which are easy to recycle and result in reduced costs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In order to solve this object, a reinforcement element for a welding wire container is provided, having an elongated body and an attachment provision for being connected to a wall of the welding wire container. The invention is based on the idea of only temporarily attaching the reinforcement elements to the interior wall of the welding wire container. Once the welding wire of the welding wire container is consumed, the reinforcement elements are disconnected from the container wall and can be reused in a new welding wire container. The wall of the container can be recycled separately.

As attachment provision for connecting the reinforcement element to the wall of the welding wire container, virtually every possible means is suitable which allows to easily and temporarily attach a reinforcement element to the wall. In particular, the attachment provision can be a hook which is adapted to engage into the wall of the welding wire container or can consist of a clip and a snap-in opening in the reinforcement element, the clip being adapted to be pushed through the wall of the welding wire container and to engage into the snap-in opening. As an alternative, the attachment provision can be an opening in the reinforcement element for accommodating a cable tie which is guided through openings in the wall of the welding wire container.

The reinforcement element can preferably consist of a plastics material which allows to manufacture the reinforcement element with a high stability. Even though the costs for such a reinforcement element are higher as compared to a cardboard reinforcement element, this is not a problem as the reinforcement element can be reused many times.

The invention also provides a welding wire container having a reinforcement element which can be connected to a wall of the welding wire container by means of an attachment provision. Regarding the advantages of such container, reference is made to the above explanations.

In order to increase the stability of the welding wire container, the reinforcement element has a recess at an axial end for accommodating a positioning element. The positioning element can be provided at the bottom of the welding wire container and/or provided at a top cover of the welding wire container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will no be described with the aid of different embodiments which are shown in the enclosed drawings. In the drawings,

FIG. 1 schematically shows a vertical section through a welding wire container;

FIG. 2 shows a horizontal cross section through the welding wire container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows in a perspective view an embodiment of a reinforcement element;

FIG. 4 shows in an enlarged cross section a first example of the reinforcement element attached to a container wall;

FIG. 5 shows in an enlarged cross section a further example of a reinforcement element attached to a container wall; and

FIG. 6 shows in an enlarged cross section a still further example of a reinforcement element attached to a container wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a welding wire container 10 consisting of a base 12, a bottom 14, a wall 16 and a top cover 18. Base 12 can be made from wood. Bottom 14 and walls 16 are typically made from cardboard. Top cover 18 is preferably made from a plastics material. In the interior of the welding wire container, a welding wire coil 20 is arranged. On top of the welding wire coil, a downholding element 22 is arranged. The welding wire 24 is withdrawn from the interior of the container through a central opening in top cover 18.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, a reinforcement element 30 is provided in each corner of the welding wire container. Each reinforcement element has a drop-shaped cross section with the tip of the drop resting in the corner between two adjacent walls 16, and the opposite curved portion contacting welding wire coil 20.

As can be seen in particular in FIG. 3, reinforcement element 30 consists of an elongated body 32 having a plurality of vertical rips 34 and horizontal rips 36. It is made from a plastics material so as to combine a low weight with a high mechanical stability. At both axial ends, a recess 38 is provided into which a positioning element can engage. (As can be seen in FIG. 3, curved stabilizing walls 39 are provided in recesses 38.

Regarding the lower end of reinforcement element 30, the positioning element is formed as a separate block-shaped part 40 which is attached to bottom 14 and base 12 with nails. Any other projecting element is suitable as well. Positioning element 40 serves for holding reinforcement element 30 in a direction which is radial with respect to the longitudinal access of body 32. Regarding the upper end of reinforcement element 30, the positioning element is formed as a projection 42 which engages into upper recess 38 (please see FIG. 1). Projection 42 is preferably formed integrally with top cover 18. In a manner similar to bottom positioning element 40, upper positioning element 42 serves for holding reinforcement element 30 in a radial direction, as top cover 18 is fixed laterally by engaging walls 16.

In addition to holding reinforcement elements 30 in a radial direction at their axial ends, they are also attached in an intermediate portion. To this end, each reinforcement element 30 has attachment provisions which allow to connect body 32 of reinforcement element 30 to walls 16 of the welding wire container. FIG. 4 shows an example of such attachment provisions. Reinforcement element 30 is provided with two hooks 50 which engage into wall 16 of the welding wire container. As wall 16 is usually made from cardboard, reinforcement element 30 can be placed with lower recess 38 on the respective positioning element 40 and then be pushed outwardly into the respective corner of the welding wire container so that hooks 50 penetrate into the walls 16 of the container. Reinforcement element 30 is thereby fixed in the correct position.

FIG. 5 shows another example of an attachment provision for connecting reinforcement element 30 to the walls 16 of the container. Reinforcement element 30 comprises two snap-in openings 52 and two through-openings 54. A clip 56 is provided which has two snap-in hooks 58 which are each pressed through wall 16 of the container, guided through the through-openings 54 and then latch in snap-in openings 52. Clip 56 thereby attaches reinforcement element 30 to walls 16 of the container.

FIG. 6 shows another example of attachment provisions. Here, reinforcement element 30 is provided with two openings 60 which go inside with openings 62 in walls 16 of the container. A cable tie 64 is guided through the openings and closed at the outside of the container. Thereby, reinforcement element 30 is attached to walls 16 of the container. 

1. A reinforcement element (30) for a welding wire container, having an elongated body (32) and an attachment provision (50; 52, 54, 56; 60) for being connected to a wall (16) of the welding wire container (10).
 2. The reinforcement element (30) of claim 1 wherein the attachment provision is at least one hook (50) which is adapted to engage into the wall (16) of the welding wire container (10).
 3. The reinforcement element (30) of claim 1 wherein the attachment provision consists of a clip (56) and a snap-in opening (52) in the reinforcement element (30), the clip being adapted to be pushed through the wall (16) of the welding wire container (10) and to engage into the snap-in opening (52).
 4. The reinforcement element (30) of claim 1 wherein the attachment provision is an opening (60) in the reinforcement element (30) for accommodating a cable tie (64) which is guided through openings (62) in the wall (16) of the welding wire container.
 5. The reinforcement element (30) of claim 1 wherein it has a recess (38) at an axial end for accommodating a positioning element (40, 42).
 6. The reinforcement element (30) of claim 1 wherein it consists of a plastics material.
 7. The reinforcement element (30) of claim 1 wherein it comprises a plurality of ribs (34, 36, 39).
 8. The reinforcement element (30) of claim 1 wherein it has a drop-shaped cross section.
 9. A welding wire container (10) having a reinforcement element (30) according to claim
 1. 10. The welding wire container of claim 9 wherein a bottom is provided which has a positioning element (40) which engages into a recess (38) provided at an axial end of the reinforcement element (30).
 11. The welding wire container of claim 10 wherein the positioning element (40) is a separate part attached to the bottom (14).
 12. The welding wire container of claim 9 wherein a top cover (18) is provided which has a positioning element (42) which engages into a recess (38) provided at an axial end of the reinforcement element (30).
 13. The welding wire container of claim 12 wherein the positioning element (42) is a projection formed integrally with the top cover (18). 